19

Back in the environs of Glasgow, off the Erskine Bridge and coasting along the M8, wanting nothing but the oblivion of sleep, Paula spotted a road sign for the business campus where Gadd Enterprises was based.

She looked at the clock on her dashboard. There was a chance Kevin would still be at work, and he might have some answers for her. She was tired of feeling like she was the little woman being kept in the dark. It was time she got in front of this and found out what exactly was going on.

Minutes later, she had parked, and, feeling certain in her need for answers, she walked up to the office, pulled open the door and stepped inside. She ran up the stairs, but on the second floor she paused for a moment – it wouldn’t do her any favours if she confronted the man while out of breath.

She reached the door, turned the handle and opened it.

Elaine Teenan was in her usual place behind the desk at reception.

‘Hello, Mrs Gadd.’ She looked up from her computer terminal with some surprise. ‘What can we do for you?’

Paula gazed past her. A plain, light-brown door led to Thomas’s office. She remembered the wide desk, the photos of Christopher on the corner beside his phone, and sagged at the thought that he wouldn’t be in there. At some point she’d have to go in and sort out his personal effects.

‘Hi Elaine. Nice to see you.’

As if suddenly remembering that she hadn’t seen Paula since the funeral, Elaine pinked slightly and asked her, ‘How have you…?’ Then, as if that was a stupid question, she stopped. ‘I haven’t had a chance to look through Mr Gadd’s personal things,’ she said as if she had just read Paula’s thoughts. ‘Will I box everything up and have them couriered over to the house?’

Paula closed her eyes against the emotion that the woman’s kindness aroused in her, and feeling sorry to have caused her any awkwardness, Paula gave her a little smile. ‘Thank you, Elaine. That would be very kind of you … Just whenever you have the time. I’m eh … looking for…’

At the sound of her voice, Kevin appeared at his office door. ‘Paula? Thank Christ.’

First, she noted that, if anything, he was even more harassed than when she’d seen him the other day, his tie askew, his eyes just as wild. Then she noticed that his left arm was in plaster.

She decided to set aside his rudeness for the moment. ‘What on earth happened to you?’ Without waiting for his answer, she walked into his office and stood by his desk.

‘Great,’ Kevin said as he brushed past her to close the door with his good hand. ‘You’ve come to tell me where it is.’ Not an assumption. A demand. His face sharp with the need to know, he stepped back as if aware that he was standing too close.

‘Tell you where what is? I’ve nothing to tell you, Kevin. I’m here for answers,’ she said. ‘What were you and Thomas up to before he died?’

‘What?’ Kevin asked, his face a stew of confusion.

‘You and my husband. What was going on? I need to know, Kevin.’

‘Oh, shut up, you silly cow.’ Kevin spat, turned and ran his good hand through his hair.

‘What on earth has got into you, Kevin Farrell?’ He would never have dreamed of talking to her like that if Thomas had been alive.

He moved back into her space.

She held her ground, but felt a stir of fear as she noted the cold light in his eyes.

‘Thomas had something a lot of people are looking for. Don’t try to tell me you know nothing. I’m not falling for that shite.’ He moved closer, his eyes wild, face red, specks of saliva firing from his mouth as he spoke.

‘Kevin, I have no idea…’

Before she could finish, he had her pressed against the wall, using his elbow and plastered forearm.

‘Kevin, get off me.’ Her fright spiked now – she couldn’t move.

‘Where is it?’ he shouted.

Looking into his eyes, Paula could see that he had lost all reason. She was no longer Thomas Gadd’s wife; she was in his way and he would do whatever it took to get what he needed.

‘Kevin…’ she managed to gasp out, ‘…you’re choking me.’ She didn’t know what to do. Finding some strength she tried to squirm, but he held her with terrifying firmness.

‘Where is it?’ he repeated. His breath smelt stale. Paula turned her face away from his. But he gripped her chin with his good hand, forcing her face round.

‘I will fucking kill you if I have to, you bitch.’

‘Kevin … please. You’re hurting me,’ she whispered, her air cut off now, her panic escalating.

‘That’s just for starters.’ His breath was hot on her face, and the smell was so foul she fought to turn from it, but he held her too close. ‘I will mess you up if you don’t tell me where it is.’

She fought down the feeling of revulsion that this man was all but molesting her. She always thought he was a bit of a fool, but a harmless one. Now she was seeing a whole other, frightening, side of him.

Trying to dampen down her fear, she ignored the arm at her throat and went for the one now aimed at her breast, aiming to grab a finger and twist it, hopefully break it. He was quick to read her attempts though and shaped his hand into a fist. He pressed it under her breast into her ribs.

Her heart was fluttering in her throat. He could hurt her. Really hurt her, and she could do nothing to stop him. He was too close, his body pressing against hers. She needed to get away.

‘Kevin, please,’ she cried, hearing the fear in her voice. ‘Stop it.’

A movement to her right. There was someone else in the office.

She tried to turn to see who it was and saw a dark flash. There was a grunt from Kevin and next thing she knew, there was cool relief at her throat and Kevin was on the floor.

He tried to get back on to his feet and was pushed back down again.

‘Cara…?’

‘You’re welcome,’ Cara replied with a tight smile, shooting Paula a look while keeping her focus on Farrell.

Once more he tried to get to his feet, placing his good hand on the floor and heaving upwards. But Cara was there, kicking his hand away, and down he fell again with a pained cry – by instinct he had used his broken limb to support himself.

‘Cara,’ croaked Paula, ‘what are you doing here?’ She turned back to her, pushing her hair from her face with a shaking hand and feeling a tremble in her thighs.

‘I saw you coming in…’ Cara began, but seeing that Farrell was trying to get up again she pushed him back down, having none of it. He scrabbled with his legs until his back was against the opposite wall, and looked up at Cara as if worried about what she was going to do to him next. ‘As I was saying,’ said Cara, ‘I don’t know why, but I followed you.’ She reached out to Paula’s face. ‘That’s going to be a nasty bruise in the morning. You should get some ice on it.’

Paula shrank away. She didn’t want anyone touching her.

Farrell was sat on the floor now, staring at Cara, clearly daunted for the moment by this confidently aggressive woman and how easily she had forced him onto the floor.

‘What was that?’ Paula asked quietly, as if she didn’t quite want Farrell to hear. ‘Kung Fu?’

Cara groaned, looking as if she was going to give a stupid answer. ‘Something like that.’

There was more movement at the door. A voice. Paula and Cara turned as one to see Elaine Teenan. She challenged Cara with a glare.

‘Mr Farrell, Mrs Gadd, what on earth is going on? Should I call the police?’

‘Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Elaine, thanks,’ Paula answered, trying to sound calm. ‘Why don’t you get yourself off home? Have an early night.’

‘Sorry, Mrs Gadd,’ she replied, standing just beyond the doorway, ‘but Mr Farrell came back from an appointment in a lot of pain and wearing a plaster cast.’ She pointed. ‘He needs me to drive him home.’ She looked down at him. ‘What are you doing on the floor, Mr Farrell?’

‘He’s just leaving, aren’t you, Kevin?’ said Paula trying to inject confidence into her tone, but still feeling shaken.

As the man got to his feet, Elaine stayed by the door, unsure about her place.

‘I’m prepared to … to put this down to whatever accident you’ve had,’ said Paula, keen now to get him out of her sight.

‘But, Paula,’ he said, taking a step towards her.

‘But, Paula, nothing,’ said Cara stepping in between them.

‘That’s enough. Both of you. Please,’ Paula tried to raise her voice, but her throat felt bruised. She was still trembling.

‘He’s harmless now,’ Paula said, giving Kevin a measured look. ‘Aren’t you, Kevin?’

‘Paula,’ he said, ‘there are some very—’

‘Cara. Elaine,’ Paula interrupted. She could see he wasn’t going to leave without speaking to her. ‘Would you two give us a second, please?’ Feeling certain that they were on secure ground now, she pulled at Kevin’s good arm and drew him further into his office, ignoring Elaine’s increasingly puzzled expression and Cara’s loud protests. ‘And close the door, please.’ She said to Elaine.

Once the door was shut, Paula led Farrell to a two-seater sofa under the window and without speaking pointed at it. He sat down. She stood over him, aware that he was cowed for now and hoping that her stance signalled she wouldn’t accept any more violence from him. She hoped Cara was still just outside.

‘Suppose you tell me what it is you think I have? Why you’re so afraid and who you are afraid of?’

‘You really don’t know?’ His panicked eyes searched hers.

‘No, Kevin, I really don’t.’

‘In that case’ – he rubbed at the top of his head – ‘I’m fucked. We’re…’ He looked at Paula. ‘We both are.’

‘What the hell did I do?’

‘Not you. Tommy. They’re not going to believe he didn’t tell you anything. And I’m not sure he didn’t tell you anything either.’ He studied her as if looking for a sign of duplicity.

Paula changed tack; pulled herself in and made herself small. She sat on the chair opposite him. ‘So who are these people who’re going to come after me?’

‘It’s really best you don’t know,’ he said and got to his feet.

Paula had a thought. ‘Kevin, do you know Anton Rusnak?’

‘Who?’ The tone of the question was a denial. He cocked his head to the side, but there was a flicker there. He was lying, Paula was sure of it.

‘Tall guy. Red hair. Goes by the name of Rusnak. Polish, I think.’

Kevin coughed, got to his feet and moved towards the door. ‘I have to go.’ He patted the side of his right leg as if reassuring himself his car keys were still in his trouser pocket.

At the sound of movement, a voice sounded from the other side of the door. ‘You okay in there, Paula?’ asked Cara.

‘Yes, thanks,’ Paula answered. Then she looked at Kevin’s arm. ‘Are you going to tell me how you broke that?’

‘I fell,’ he replied, with the look of someone terrified to inform on his bully.

‘Is it connected with whatever you think Thomas told me about?’

Kevin took a few laboured steps closer to her. Paula shrank back automatically – was he going to try to hurt her again? But she relaxed when she read that the fight had truly left him.

‘If you really don’t know…’ he studied her for confirmation.

‘I really don’t know, Kevin.’

‘Then for your own protection it’s best that we leave it that way.’